Electrical connector that includes multiple terminals

Abstract

Electrical connectors are described. An example electrical connector has a housing, a cover releasably attached to the housing, a first blade, and a second blade. The housing has housing first end, a housing second end, a connector portion, and defines a shoulder, a first passageway, a second passageway, and a projection. The first passageway and the second passageway are defined on the connector portion. The first blade is partially disposed within the first passageway and is attached to the housing. The first blade has a first blade second end disposed a first distance from the projection. The second blade is partially disposed within the second passageway and is attached to the housing. The second blade has a second blade second end disposed a second distance from the projection that is different than the first distance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrical connector comprising:
 a housing having a housing first end, a housing second end, a connector portion, and defining a shoulder, a first passageway, a second passageway, and a projection, the connector portion extending from the housing first end to the shoulder, the projection extending from the shoulder to the housing second end, the first passageway and the second passageway defined on the connector portion;   a cover releasably attached to the housing;   a first blade partially disposed within the first passageway, the first blade attached to the housing and having a first blade first end and a first blade second end, the first blade second end disposed a first distance from the projection; and   a second blade partially disposed within the second passageway, the second blade attached to the housing and having a second blade first end and a second blade second end, the second blade second end disposed a second distance from the projection that is different than the first distance.   
     
     
         2 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the second distance is less than the first distance. 
     
     
         3 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the housing has a housing lengthwise axis extending from the housing first end to the housing second end; and
 wherein the first passageway has a first central axis disposed parallel to the housing lengthwise axis.   
     
     
         4 . The electrical connector of  claim 3 , wherein the second passageway has a second central axis disposed parallel to the housing lengthwise axis. 
     
     
         5 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the first passageway has a first central axis; and
 wherein the second passageway has a second central axis disposed parallel to the first central axis.   
     
     
         6 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the housing has a housing lengthwise axis extending from the housing first end to the housing second end; and
 wherein the first passageway has a central axis disposed substantially perpendicular to the housing lengthwise axis.   
     
     
         7 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the cover is disposed on the projection; and
 wherein the cover defines a first projection disposed between the first blade and the second blade.   
     
     
         8 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first blade and the second blade is partially disposed between the cover and the projection. 
     
     
         9 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a first recess and a second recess on the projection. 
     
     
         10 . The electrical connector of  claim 9 , wherein each of the first recess and the second recess extends from the shoulder toward the housing second end;
 wherein the first blade is partially disposed within the first recess; and   wherein the second blade is partially disposed within the second recess.   
     
     
         11 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first passageway and the second passageway extends from the housing first end to the shoulder. 
     
     
         12 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the first blade has a first blade first portion, a first blade second portion, and a first blade bend between the first blade first portion and the first blade second portion. 
     
     
         13 . The electrical connector of  claim 12 , wherein the first blade first portion is partially disposed within the first passageway. 
     
     
         14 . The electrical connector of  claim 12 , wherein the first blade first portion has a first lengthwise axis; and
 wherein the first blade second portion has a second lengthwise axis that is noncoaxial with the first lengthwise axis.   
     
     
         15 . The electrical connector of  claim 12 , wherein the second blade has a second blade first portion, a second blade second portion, and a second blade bend between the second blade first portion and the second blade second portion. 
     
     
         16 . The electrical connector of  claim 15 , wherein the second blade first portion is partially disposed within the second passageway. 
     
     
         17 . The electrical connector of  claim 15 , wherein the second blade first portion has a first lengthwise axis; and
 wherein the second blade second portion has a second lengthwise axis that is noncoaxial with the first lengthwise axis of the second blade.   
     
     
         18 . The electrical connector of  claim 1 , wherein the housing and the cover are formed of an electrically nonconductive material; and
 wherein the first blade and the second blade are formed of an electrically conductive material.   
     
     
         19 . An electrical connector comprising:
 a housing having a housing first end, a housing second end, a connector portion, and defining a shoulder, a first passageway, a second passageway, and a projection, the connector portion extending from the housing first end to the shoulder, the projection extending from the shoulder to the housing second end, the first passageway and the second passageway defined on the connector portion;   a cover releasably attached to the housing and disposed on the projection;   a first blade partially disposed within the first passageway and between the cover and the projection, the first blade attached to the housing and having a first blade first end and a first blade second end, the first blade second end disposed a first distance from the projection; and   a second blade partially disposed within the second passageway and between the cover and the projection, the second blade attached to the housing and having a second blade first end and a second blade second end, the second blade second end disposed a second distance from the projection that is different than the first distance.   
     
     
         20 . An electrical connector comprising:
 a housing having a housing first end, a housing second end, a connector portion, and defining a shoulder, a first passageway, a second passageway, and a projection, the connector portion extending from the housing first end to the shoulder, the projection extending from the shoulder to the housing second end, the first passageway and the second passageway defined on the connector portion;   a cover releasably attached to the housing and disposed on the projection;   a first blade partially disposed within the first passageway and between the cover and the projection, the first blade attached to the housing and having a first blade first end, a first blade second end, a first blade first portion, a first blade second portion, and a first blade bend between the first blade first portion and the first blade second portion, the first blade second end disposed a first distance from the projection, the first blade first portion partially disposed within the first passageway; and   a second blade partially disposed within the second passageway and between the cover and the projection, the second blade attached to the housing and having a second blade first end, a second blade second end, a second blade first portion, a second blade second portion, and a second blade bend between the second blade first portion and the second blade second portion, the second blade second end disposed a second distance from the projection that is different than the first distance, the second blade first portion partially disposed within the second passageway.